Trolling motors have long been used by fisherman and other boaters as an auxiliary motor on a boat for propelling the boat short distances and to provide precise positioning of the boat. Some trolling motors are hand operated while others offer a combination of hand and foot operation.
One known form of trolling motor includes a foot pedal including a pivotal foot pad connected to a rigid cable. Pivoting the foot pad moves the rigid cable which is connected to a rack and pinion in a trolling motor control head to rotate the trolling motor to provide steering. Speed control is effected electrically by a horizontal sliding movement of the foot pad to rotate a knob which actuates a potentiometer forming part of a speed control circuit.
The foot pedal is typically positioned on the boat so that it is easily usable by the fisherman to provide an aid in fishing, rather than a hinderance. Often, the foot pedal is merely rested on the deck with reliance on the weight of the foot pedal to maintain positioning of the same. To avoid undesired movement of the foot pedal, which could damage the foot pedal, it is desirable to secure the foot pedal to the boat during rough water running, yet be easy for a customer to install and also to remove for cleaning and the like.
The present invention is directed to solving one or more of the problems discussed above in a novel and simple manner.